A Gendered Analysis of Sexual Victimization and Help-Seeking Behaviors

• In Event: Advancing Victimization Research: Innovations from the Victimology and Victim Studies Research Lab

Abstract

Research on sexual violence often tends to focus on the experiences of female victims, with limited attention given to the experiences of males who are harmed. Further, research examining the differences in sexual victimizations by gender is extremely limited, which affects the response to victims and, ultimately, the care they receive upon disclosure (e.g., de Waal et al., 2017; Fohring, 2022; Spencer et al., 2024). This study aims to address this gap in research by examining factors that may make someone vulnerable to sexual victimization (e.g., target vulnerability, lifestyles, individual traits) and help-seeking behaviors after a victimization occurs (e.g., reporting to law enforcement, disclosing to family or friends). The key objective is to identify potential differences among a national sample of approximately 1,700 men and women that could inform response efforts in these areas. To ensure large enough sample sizes for comparisons, sexual victimization is a combined measure accounting for experiences of sexual assault, rape by force, and rape by incapacitation. Analyses are pending. Findings will be presented, including descriptive statistics and a gendered multivariate analysis. Implications for policy, practice, and research will be discussed.

Authors

• Emily K. Milner, University of Nebraska Omaha

• Teresa C. Kulig, University of Nebraska Omaha

• Leah Butler, University of Cincinnati